The Foreign Service Journal, October 2015

32 OCTOBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL W hen colleagues first approached me to suggest I write for this issue of The Foreign Service Journal about my military background and how it affected my Foreign Service career, I was reluctant. But as I reflected on the subject, I decided I could offer some observations that might prove useful to the new generation of Foreign Service personnel who, for the most part, have never done military service or had much contact with members of the armed forces. THE VALUE OF MILITARY TRAINING FOR DIPLOMATS: A Personal Story Understanding our military, its role and its importance in interagency decision-making, should be a high priority for diplomats—especially for those beginning their careers. BY GEORGE M . STAPL ES George M. Staples served from 1981 to 2007 as a Foreign Service officer after spending eight years in the Air Force and two years in the private sector. His diplomatic assign- ments included posts in Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa, and at NATO, where he was the diplomatic adviser to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General James Jones. He served as ambassador to Rwanda, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Ambassador Staples’ last assignment was as director general of the Foreign Service. He now teaches and consults at the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of International Diplo- macy and Commerce. I graduated from college in 1970 with a political science degree—and as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force follow- ing three years in the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. It was not until later, though, that I realized just how much that training I’d received, both in AFROTC and during my eight years as an Air Force officer, would benefit me throughout my State Department career. Leadership and Motivation Many people have the impression, probably from TV and the movies, that the military services are hierarchal organiza- tions run by senior officers who give orders to subordinates who immediately say “Yes, sir!” and then salute and do as they’ve been told. Nothing could be farther from the truth, however. While orders or directives are expected to be followed once a decision has been made, military leaders at all levels are encour- aged throughout their careers to lead by example, seek the input from everyone assigned to work on a project, recognize when a decision isn’t producing the expected results, and have the courage to bury the ego and correct course. These expectations place a premium on developing strong interpersonal skills, and finding ways to acknowledge and reward individuals to generate unit pride and build teamwork. Military officers begin from the start of their basic training to read about and study principles of leadership from both military and civilian sources. In my college ROTC program the guest FOCUS ON CIV-MIL RELATIONS